A/HRC/31/72 judiciary, prosecutors and legal professionals, taking action where they observe discrimination. 96. National human rights institutions should monitor the number of complaints received from persons belonging to minorities in the context of criminal justice processes, reviewing their outcomes to assess whether complainants are adequately aware of their rights, and enjoy access to available formal justice mechanisms, without fear of reprisals, and design their work plans and outreach and information strategies accordingly. 97. Independent professional associations for judges, prosecutors and lawyers should provide guidance and training on minority rights, including on implicit bias and indirect discrimination, while ensuring proper representation of minorities within their own organizations. Disciplinary consequences and remedial measures should follow when discrimination against minorities is practiced in these contexts. 98. Political leaders should publicly challenge discrimination while refraining from making statements linking religion, nationality, language, race or ethnicity to criminal behaviour, irregular migration or terrorism. Political parties should refrain from spreading inflammatory and racist rhetoric, ensuring that public discourse does not perpetrate stereotypical, racist, hateful or discriminatory views about specific minority groups. Effective action against such discourse would ensure the sanctity of the public space, and would, over time, foster society-wide debate, building trust and confidence. 99. Civil society organizations should systematically engage with relevant stakeholders to contribute to the eradication of unlawful discriminatory practices and attitudes by law enforcement agencies and/or the judiciary, including by addressing accountability and access to justice for minorities more effectively. Civil society organizations should cooperate with minority groups and developing dedicated initiatives focusing on the identified problem areas. 100. Civil society organizations, including minority organizations, should be valued as trusted partners in guaranteeing the promotion and protection of minority rights within law enforcement and the judiciary, strengthening efforts in data collection initiatives and monitoring the performance of the criminal justice system. 101. Civil society organizations should advocate for police agencies to develop clear or improved written policies regarding how to record discriminatory practices by law enforcement agencies and/or the judiciary and should offer advice on procedures that will overcome obstacles that prevent minority victims from accessing justice and redress. Civil society organizations should support, minority individuals who have been victims of discrimination at any stage of the criminal justice process. 102. Civil society organizations should play a role in facilitating and supporting initiatives aimed at building a positive relationship between minority communities and the police, including by improving mutual understanding and trust. This could extend to supporting the implementation of police efforts to making stop and search more intelligence-led and effective by providing opportunities for members of the public, including minority communities to accompany police office on patrol. 103. Civil society organizations should identify and disseminate good practice adopted at the international, regional and/or national levels with a view to reducing inequalities and eliminating discrimination against minorities in the criminal justice system. 104. The mass media, including social media, play an important role in the construction of public knowledge about crime and justice. The public’s perception of victims, criminals, witnesses and law enforcement officials is largely determined by their portrayal in the mass media. Public and private media bodies should be challenged if they present negative stereotypes of minority groups as criminals, violent, untrustworthy, disloyal, alien or dirty 17